


Missed Your Face

by makesmefree



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Bedtime Stories, Business Trip, EMT Ian Gallagher, Established Relationship, FaceTiming, Fluff, Ian Gallagher Loves Mickey Milkovich, M/M, Mickey Milkovich Loves Ian Gallagher, Mickey Milkovich Misses Ian Gallagher, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, and he'll be back, but he's only been gone for two days, fluff with minimal plot, literally this whole thing is just them saying they love each other, this is low-key ass, written on 4 hours of sleep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-04
Updated: 2018-02-04
Packaged: 2019-03-13 08:38:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13566876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/makesmefree/pseuds/makesmefree
Summary: Ian's been gone for two days on a business trip. Mickey really misses Ian's face, and Ian really misses Mickey's.(Just them facetiming. Established relationship fluff).





	Missed Your Face

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my second (and probably bad) fic. I wrote this in the aftermath of crying over Mickey and  
> Ian for two hours. I cope with immense amounts of fluff, so that's exactly what you're about to read. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Ian had been gone for just two days. Two days was all, but Mickey felt the weight of the absence as if it were a lot longer. To him, Ian may as well have been gone for two years. In their relationship’s earlier stages, Mickey couldn’t understand the intense longing he felt for Ian if he was ever gone, in any sense of the word. When he was young and didn't know any better, Mickey almost resented Ian’s incredible ability to turn him into a clingy and emotional little bitch. But at this point in their lives, Mickey understands that the connection he feels to Ian is a bond strengthened by how far they’ve both come individually, and how far they’ve come to be together. Mickey knows now that feeling what he feels doesn’t make him a bitch. Feeling things makes Mickey human, and the best part of being human is being Ian's

So when they are apart, even if it is just for something like the business trip Ian is currently taking, Mickey feels the far-off sting of past times he spent missing Ian— times when he didn’t know for certain if he’d ever get his festering wishes to have Ian back by his side granted. Now, Mickey knows with total certainty that Ian will be back. But somehow, the extremity with which he misses him hasn't really calmed. 

But what makes it a little easier is that everywhere he goes, even if it’s just to the goddamn bathroom, Ian reminds Mickey he’ll always be right back. Repeatedly, Ian has promised Mickey he will never leave him alone. Never leave him to wonder. And Mickey believes him. Mickey has this certainty, but he has memory as well. And memory lets him know to not take the certainty for granted. As often as he inhales, Mickey loves Ian. And every second Ian isn't around Mickey misses his face. Any photograph— digital, physical, or mental, would never do justice to how beautiful Ian is when he stands in front of Mickey, in the flesh. When he's as real as their shared I love yous have grown to be.

As Mickey was contemplating this, his phone rang. The lock screen indicated that Ian wanted to FaceTime, and Mickey answered the call hastily. As it picked up, he was greeted by Ian’s face, sitting up in the bed of his hotel room.

“Hi, idiot,” Mickey greeted, a huge smile stretching across his cheeks.

“Hi baby. Look at you! That _smile_ , god I miss that smile,” Ian replied, the wideness of his own grin rivaling Mickey’s.

“How are you? How’s the trip and shit… Are you taking your meds? What have you been doing?” Mickey asked, each question seeming to fight the one before it to get out of his mouth.

“I’m alright. Learning a lot. I miss you. I’m taking my meds even if you’re not here to lay them out in front of me, I promised remember? And ummmm, what else? I miss you. Oh, and we did some CPR training earlier, which will come in handy in case I ever truly take your breath away.”

“You’re fucking stupid,” Mickey giggled. “Can’t believe they trust you to save lives, Gallagher.”

“They probably wouldn’t if you hadn’t saved mine,” Ian said. He raked a hand through his hair and smiled through the phone screen at Mickey. “I love you.”

Mickey paused for a moment, taking that in. He took care of Ian at his worst, that was true, but hadn't done so in hopes of praise or recognition. He'd done so because he loved Ian. Mickey loved him then, and he makes it his mission every day to show Ian that he also loves him present-tense. And you take care of the people you love. And another thing...

"You saved yourself, Gallagher. I just stood by you while you did it."

"If you weren't there, I wouldn't have done it. Least not as well." Ian said. "I love you," he repeated

"I love you too, I’m glad you called me.”

Ian let out a light and airy response “Yeah,” he breathed. “I missed your face.”

Following that, he just looked at Mickey. He looked at him and said nothing, for what felt like a long time. Mickey couldn’t properly attest to how long though, because whenever Ian looked at him the way he was at this moment, time had a tendency to slow. After a few moments though, Mickey laughed.

“What’re you looking at?” He asked Ian, who was still just gazing intently at Mickey with dazzled eyes.

“You,” Ian stated. "Your eyes, they're like the sky when the clouds finally stop interrupting it and give it the clarity it deserves. The most beautiful, freest sky, Mickey. And your hair, it's pissing me off that I can't run my hands through it. And your smile, goddamn I love your smile. Lights up your eyes from the underside like the world's most beautiful sunrise."

"You done yet?" Mickey asked, savoring the compliments but feeling the threat of a burning blush creeping closer. 

“You’re just really pretty, Mick. How’d I get so lucky?”

Mickey chucked a little at that “Neither of us are extremely lucky, Gallagher, you know that,” he said. “Just two persistent sons of bitches. We made our own luck, Ian. Controlled our own fate. And I’m really beyond happy that we did.”

“Me too,” Ian agreed. “Because I love you. And for a while the universe tried to pull us apart, and we just told it to fuck off, and it did. And you're mine, and I'm yours, and that's the way it is, and I’m happy that it is.” He babbled. He then yawned, and Mickey noticed his eyes were beginning to look a little tired, craving sleep.

“What time is it there?” Mickey asked.

“9:54, only one hour later than it is in Chicago.”

“And you’re already tired?" Ian nodded in response. "You sound like those old men you used to jerk off,” Mickey said, smiling to let Ian know he was teasing.

“Fuck off,” Ian laughed. “I didn’t get a great night sleep last night.”

“Why not?”

“Wasn’t holding you.”

“You’re fucking gay.”

“Luckily for you.”

“Ian, being serious now,” Mickey shifted tones from playful to more firm. “This training is important. I want you to try your best to sleep better tonight. Maybe watch something funny on TV, or order a glass of beer or something for room service to relax or…”

“Can you tell me a bedtime story?”

“Are you for fucking real?”

“Yes!” Ian insisted. “Please,” he added for good measure.

“The things I do for you. Alright,” Mickey caved. “Once upon a time, there was this beautiful princess named Ian.”

“Princess?” Ian interrupted. “Am I gonna have to show you how much of a man I am when I get home?”

“Aye, fuck off and let me tell my story. But yeah, probably.”

Ian laughed and winked. He then turned on his side to lay down and placed the phone on the pillow beside him so he could continue to see Mickey as he began to rest.

Mickey launched back into his tale. "The _prince_ Ian lived in this sometimes unforgiving kingdom called the Southside. A place where it seemed like nothing can ever truly be a fairytale because everyone is spending every last dime of money and every last ounce of energy on saving themselves, not their true love. This was because...For a while, the Southside was placed under a, what the fuck is it called... Oh, a curse. Yeah, a curse. The Southside Kingdom was under a curse that prevented true love from existing. It couldn't even exist as an illusion, like it did in the Northside Kingdom. This curse continued to damn the entire area until one day, the prince Ian busted into the Milkovich tower with a fuckin' tire iron. And no matter what any of the villagers said, heard, or believed, from that day forward, Mickey was saved. From that day forward, Mickey was free. Even though the rest of the Southside remained cursed around him, he was free. And after that, the princes Mickey and Ian saved each other again and again, day after day, until they finally reached their forever ever after. Some times are more happily than others. But there's one thing that never changes, and that's the fact that Mickey lives because of Ian. And Ian lives because of Mickey. And it's true enough that the entire Southside may be free of it's curse one day. But even if that day does come, Mickey will still be the freest of all of 'em. The happiest of all of 'em. Because Ian Gallagher made him free to love. And it's real love. And it keeps making Mickey free, every damn day."

By the end of it, Ian’s eyes had fluttered shut and his breaths had grown still and even. He was clearly sleeping, and Mickey said nothing for a minute as he just marveled at the peaceful undisturbed sight.

“I miss your face too,” Mickey whispered, careful not to wake Ian up through the phone speakers. “I love you, I’ll see you soon.”

He didn’t need Ian to say it back. He never really needed Ian to say it back. All Mickey ever needed to do was remember, and then he knew that Ian feels it too.

Before Mickey hung up, Ian mumbled something so quietly, Mickey thought he'd imagined it at first. "I stayed awake for your story, Mick," quietly left Ian's lips before he dozed off completely. Mickey heard it, and then all at once knew it was real. 

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading, automatically love you for doing so.


End file.
